In a sheet fabrication environment, worksheets of different dimensions are fabricated at sheet fabrication machines by different types of tools into myriad shapes and forms. A plurality of tools of different styles and sizes are used on the different types of worksheets. There are moreover a number of different manufacturers that manufacture the different types and styles of tools for the different sheet fabrication machines. Oftentimes, for a particular sheet fabrication machine, for example a turret punch press, different tools are used on a particular worksheet or different worksheets, which may have different dimensions, hardness and thickness.
For the different types of tools, which may include tools that are of different sizes, the grind life for each of the tools may be different from the other tools. In fact, tools that allegedly are the same, both in style and designated specification, may in fact have different grind lives, depending on which manufacturer produced that tool.
The operators who use the tools in a sheet fabrication machine have to be aware of the limitations of the various tools, and are assumed to be knowledgeable with respect to the remaining life of each particular tool that is to be used in the machine. Where a tool has been grounded too close to the end of its grind life, it may not be a good idea to use that tool for thicker worksheets. For if the tool were to be used to fabricate a worksheet having a thickness that is greater than what the tool is capable of punching, not only will the tool not penetrate the worksheet, the thickness of the material would cause the tool to bottom into itself so that it would damage its tool holder, or in a worst case scenario causing substantial damage to both the tool holder and the machine.
To prevent such potential damage, conventionally, the monitoring and the calculating of the usefulness of each tool is left in the hands of the operator. In most instances, if not all of the time, an operator would no longer use a tool well before the tool gets to the end of its useful life, so as to be “on the safe side”. Since tools are expensive and a great number of tools may be used for a given period, there is a lot of waste, both in terms of the scrapping of tools that continue to have good grind lives, and the expense of having the operator frequently replacing the tools. The cost for replacing tools annually for a sheet fabrication machine oftentimes may be in excess of $50,000.